Of Old Fishing Towns and Midnight Snuggles
by AvatardAtHeart
Summary: Join Toph and Sokka and any other character brave enough through a series of drabbles of fluffy proportions! Most drabbles are fluffy or funny, with the occasional serious drabble thrown in here or there.
1. 56 Legacy

56. Legacy

"So let me get this straight… Oma and Shu fell in love, so they got one of the finest cities in the Earth Kingdom – No, in the world named after them… because they fell in love?"

"Well that and-"

"That's stupid. That's insane. How cool is that? They could have at least… I don't know, attacked pirates in their free time or ruled the Kingdom, but no, they just fell in love? I mean, anyone could do that… Everyone _does _that! Why don't they name a city after Katara and Aang, or Zuko and Mai, or Azula and-"

"Well, see the whole story behind Oma and Shu is that they were from two separate, warring, tribes and they built a tunnel under a mountain to be together but then some warriors from her tribe killed him so Oma did some Earthbending, but she didn't hurt them, she made them stop fighting, and then combined the tribes and made a city called Omashu."

"So he got himself offed and she refrained from being badass… I don't think we'll ever get a city named after us."

"Yeah, I doubt it."

"But, if we did, what do you think it would be named? Tophsokka?"

"No! It has to be something that flows better!"

"Oh sorry. I forgot you're '' with you're amazing word and haiku skills."

"I told you! It was just one night in Ba Sing Se, and I didn't even know I was making haikus! And Tokka!"

"Tokka?"

"Tokka."

"I like it! I just might not go berserk when my dad kills you for finding out we're living together."

"Wow, it's nice to know how much you care."

"Oh shut up Meathead, you now I love you… But just think of it… the grand… the great… city of… bum bum bum Tokka! No! Wait! Tokka Kingdom!"

"I really regret telling you this story."

"No! I've got it! PLANET TOKKA! AND I SHALL RULE AS MELON LORD!"

"I love you."

"Those two never cease to amaze me." Katara said to a bemused (and slightly scared) Aang as they watched there two best friends make out.

"Me neither." Aang said, wondering if perhaps there could be a city of Kataang one day.

AN: So I'm yet another writer doing the 100 LJ challenge, but its fun to do so... I can't promise all one hundred drabbles, but so far i have about 15 written already and their just so much fun to write! Reviews are awesome!


	2. 11 Elemental

Disclaimer: Oops, I forgot this in the first chapter. But its kinda obvious I don't own Avatar, or any of its characters.

AN: I didn't want all these notes in the first chapter, so I'll just say them here. First, they are in the order I wrote them in, not chronologially. Second, I'm pretty sure the official definition of a drabble is only 100 words, but I've done that before on a different account, and I think it's funner and less restricting to have no limit. I think the longest one I've written so far was about 1000 words. And so now enjoy Chapter Two.

11. Elemental

"So then we ran into some nomads-" Aang started as he and his friends sat around the table at the teashop.

"Oh sweet spirits!" Sokka moaned, "they were the most annoying people I've ever met. Even more annoying than Ty Lee." The pink-clad acrobat scowled at Sokka and threw a teabag at his head. "At least you don't sing."

"Secret tunnel!" Aang belted in an imitation of Chong. Sokka groaned.

"Secret tunnel! Through the mountains." Katara added, her singing possibly worse than Chong and Aang's combined. "They weren't that annoying to _normal, happy _people. Sokka's just a depressed, cynical person and he didn't trust in love." She smiled over at Aang and rubbed her nose against his.

Toph, Zuko, and Sokka pretended to gag but Ty Lee just smiled and Mai, as usual, rolled her eyes. "Go on with the stories Twinkletoes."

"So they told us about this secret tunnel, through the mountains, but Sokka didn't want to go through it." Aang said as tilted his head at Sokka.

"Oh shut up, I just wanted to get to Omashu in the quickest way possible!"

"Yeah and since going Sokka's 'quickest way possible' ended in us being shot at by the Fire Nation, we went through the tunnel. And Sokka, being the great leader he is, led us into a bunch of dead ends."

"Good going Sokka," Zuko said, slapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Oh like you would have done better! Anyway, I'll take over for now. So Appa got scared and went crazy and knocked into a wall and cause a cave-in. I got stuck with the hippies, and Katara and Aang were by themselves."

"Ooo," Ty Lee cooed, "Aang and Katara alone together in the Tunnel of Two _Lovers,_"

"Well, we did trust in love," Aang said, putting his arm around his girlfriend and pulling her close.

"So how did you get out Sokka?" Toph asked.

"Oh! Well, this is good! See, unlike Aang and Katara who 'trusted in love', I ran into some badgermoles and found out that they could Earthbend! So we rode on them out of the tunnel."

"So… in the tunnel of love… you trusted in a blind Earthbender?" Zuko asked, nudging Sokka in the side and winking. The entire table burst into laughter, except for Sokka, who stared at the blind Earthbender across the table from him, as if he were seeing her in a new light.


	3. 2 Past

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

2. Past

"Mama?" Sokka asked as he rubbed his tired eyes, trying to keep himself awake long enough to hear the answer to the question he was about to ask.

"Yes darling?" She asked, slipping off his parking and slipping on his nightshirt.

"How do you know when to give someone a betrotal necklace?"

Kya laughed but quickly covered her mouth as she saw her son's seriousness. "Well, why do you ask Sokka? Do you have a certain girl in mind who you want to marry?"

"Yup," Sokka said proudly.

"And who is this lucky lady?" Sokka twisted his fingers over his lips like he was twisting a key in a lock. "Oh, it's a secret! Well, then I'll respect your privacy. So you want to know the first that comes with deciding if you should give a girl a betrothal necklace?" Sokka nodded eagerly. "First, you have to like her a lot. Do you like her Sokka?"

"Oh mama, I love her," the young boy answered earnestly and his mother sighed softly and kissed his forehead.

"That's great. That's the most important thing. But there are some other ones. You ready to hear them?"

"Yes please."

"Do you think you'll be a good husband to her?"

"Yes! I'll be big and strong and brave! Just like Daddy!"

"And do you think she'll be a good wife?"

"Yes. She will cook and clean and sew my pants when they get rippeded. She'll be the best wife ever."

"Well then. You're ready."

"You mean that's all?"

"Yes sir."

"I don't have to be a warrior?"

"Nope."

"I don't have to think she's pretty?"

"That certainly helps. But she doesn't have to be pretty."

"She is though. She's the most beautiful girl I know… Well, second beautiful after you."

"Thank you Sokka," Kya said and she gathered Sokka into a big bear hug. "Now I think it's time for bed. Don't you?"

"No," Sokka mumbled into her chest. "I still have to make the betrotal necklace." He yawned and rubbed at his eyes again and his mother tucked him into his sleeping bag, ignoring the halfhearted attempts of protest from her son.

"Don't worry, I'll make one for you tonight while you sleep." His mother assured, running her hand through his hair and gently undoing his wolftail.

"M'kay," He mumbled, nearly asleep and his mother kissed his forehead one last time.

…

"Mama! Mama!" Katara cried as she ran inside the tent to where her mother was cooking dinner. Her face was red and her hair was flecked with white from the snow outside and in her mittened hand she held something that suspiciously like the necklace Kya had spent a hour working on the night before. On second glance, it looked identical to the necklace she had made last night, right down to the waves design she had carved into the piece of seal bone… But that would mean…

"I'm getting married! Sokka just gave me a betrotal necklace!" Katara gleefully shouted, waving hands and necklace in the air.

"Sokka!" Kya yelled, cursing herself for forgetting the most important rule of getting married.

AN: I guess this really has nothing to do with Tokka, the couple, but Sokka's in it so...


	4. 3 Future

Disclaimer: Avatar and the characters of Toph and Sokka do not belong to me.

3. Future

Sokka did not ask her. Toph did not ask him. It was not even a mutual agreement. They just happened to be wandering the streets of Ba Sing Se one night after being kicked out of three bars, when the stumbled upon Ping's Theme Weddings and Alteration Shop. Lured in by the promises of costumes—which were always fun—and beer—which was always even more fun—for the small total of four gold pieces, they found themselves half an hour later, up to their elbows in assorted robes and fabrics.

"Oma and Shu?" Sokka asked. Toph sent a glare his way as she fingered the cheaply sewn costumes that were meant to represent traditional Fire Nation robes.

"You know my feelings on those two." Toph muttered darkly.

"The Ocean Spirit and the Southern Warrior?" Sokka asked, then he suddenly realized what that meant and he dropped the costumes to the ground. "Well never mind then."

"No come on Sokka!" Toph insisted and she grabbed a robe of the ground. "I want to dress up as your dead girlfriend! It will be fun!"

"Actually Toph, you grabbed the wrong one." Sokka replied, pulling the other costume off the ground, which was a strapless flowing white gown, complete with a headpiece.

"Even better! Now you get to dress up too!" Toph replied, pulling on the blue tunic that failed in comparison to the one Sokka was wearing, and only once it was on did she realize her head was sticking out of the armhole.

"Haha, no." And he succeeded in yanking the tunic off her head.

"Hurry up people!" Ping yelled as he poked his head into the costume room. "Your wedding is in ten minutes and we have to be done before the next ceremony!"

"Ok, we will," Sokka muttered and he looked through the bins. "How about… the lady cop and the jailbird?"

"Hmm," Toph muttered. "It would be nice to finally be the one doing the arresting." She grabbed the costume from his hand, and after a moment of pondering, pulled it over her head as a headband. "Ok Snoozles, give me the rest of the costume."

"… That is the costume," Needless to say, they did not use the jail theme.

"Ok, here's one… Ju Li and Meo."

Toph picked up her head and turned to "look" at Sokka, the frilly skirt still on her head, swinging back and forth with her sudden movement. "Oh, I know that story. See, Ju Li was the daughter of a very affluent Fire Nation family and Meo father was chief of the Northern Water Tribe. And they met at some fancy party and fell in love, only their families hated each other."

"That sounds a lot like Oma and Shu and you hate that story."

"Well, that's cause they're idiots. But Ju Li was smart and she pretended to be dead so she wouldn't have to marry the man her parents picked out, and then Meo came and saved her and they ran off to be together. I think… My memory of that story is a bit foggy though." Toph said, not knowing that had she remembered the real story, she would have hated it just as much, if not more, than the story of Oma and Shu.

"So. Ju Li and Meo?"

"Ju Li and Meo!" Toph cried and they, as hurriedly as they could for Ping had told them they would have to pay an extra gold piece if they took more than thirty minutes, dressed in the tacky robes, which Sokka assured Toph, who had a sudden moment of pre-wedding jitters, looked even more beautiful than Katara's ceremonial robes and he secretly was glad she was drunk, or else she would have known he was lying, and they definitely would have had to pay the extra gold coin.

AN: OMG! Before I added the authors note, this drabble was exactly 666 words... Creepy huh? And just in case you didn't get it, Ju Li and Meo are supposed to be Juliet and Romeo.


	5. 33 Rival

Disclaimer: Do I really have to put this on every chapter? I don't own Avatar, Toph, Sokka, Aang, Katara, Suki, Mai, Zuko, or the river village that was seen in episode 303 The Painted Lady.

33. Rival.

"_This_ once used to be polluted rundown fishing town?" Suki asked in disbelief as they looked at the now beautiful river city. For some reason, Katara had dragged them out of the Royal City and to the little old fishing village they had visited on their travels to see if the city had been improved since they had stopped by. And spirits, where the not disappointed.

What once was a rumble tumble of dingy and small shacks and huts that made even the abodes of the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se look like mansions was now a beautiful, sprawling city of actual buildings that looked sturdy and able to stand up against a storm. The narrow plank walkways that creaked as they walked over them, where now broad walkways that could hold multiple ostrich horse pulled carriages. And somehow, probably with the help of some Earthbenders, they had been able to build a park in the center of town. Sokka looked for his friends, finding Katara basking in the praise the citizens showered her with, and Aang standing next to her and smiling. And further down, walking down the new walkways towards a large pavilion, were Toph and Zuko … hand in hand.

"What?" Sokka screeched, as he marched over to the couple, scowling at the thought of his bestfriend Toph holding hands, with Zuko, who used to be his bestfriend, but now he'd been demoted to Fire Nation scum. Sokka reached them, and yanked Toph away from the Fire Nation scum.

"What are you doing?" Toph yelled, trying to break free from his grip.

"What are _you _doing?! You always hold onto me when you need to! Not… Zuko," He spit out like he was saying something detestable like rapist or Azula.

"I didn't think you'd want to," Toph answered simply.

"Of course I want to!" Sokka yelled. Zuko really didn't think he was needed in the conversation, and he fled to the safety of Mai, who was lethargically looking at knives in a store for weapons.

"Well, you're always with Suki so I just thought…" Toph muttered off.

"Well, you thought wrong. I love you!" Toph dropped his hand and slid away from him.

"I mean, I love you … like a friend… but like, more than my friends… well, I don't know Toph. I just… I want to hold your hand not stupid… Zuko." Sokka finished lamely, not exactly sure where he was going with this.

"I want to hold your hand not stupid… Suki." Toph mimicked.

"Oh shut up," He muttered and he grabbed her hand and they walked past the confused citizens who had watched the exchange.

"So… you like holding my hand?" Toph asked, for that's what they were doing. It wasn't like before, when she would clutch to his arm; no, they were, fingers laced, sweaty palms touching, tingly feelings, holding hands.

"Yes." He answered. And he waved to the passing by couple in a rickshaw who waved back and called them a "lovely couple".

"As much as you like holding Suki's hand?" Toph asked and they turned a corner and Toph stumbled, falling into Sokka.

"It's different than holding Suki's." He expected her to ask if that was a good thing, to which he have to admit that he had no idea what that meant, but she didn't. She was quiet for the remainder of the walk, even when they passed by the couple of boys by the produce market who wolf whistled at her.

"By the way, I like holding your hand too," Toph said softly. They had made they're way to Suki and she looked at the two of them, and Sokka felt Toph's hand start to pull away, when he tightened his hold and they took another walk around the city.

AN: I have nothing to say about this one, except that's its one of my favorites. Oh yeah, and reviews are greatly appreciated! I really want to know what you readers are thinking, even if you think it sucks.


	6. 87 Unyielding

Disclaimer: Sigh, still not mine.

AN: Sorry I did not post yesterday. I was sick in the morning, and stayed in bed till about 2, and then I got on the computer and read the last three books of Fruits Basket.... I cried like a baby for the last six chapters, and for about thirty minutes later. I always cry at the end of things, especially Avtar (one of my friends called me right after ended beause my stupid parents forced me to go on vacation the week Avatar aired, and I couldn't alk to him for about twenty minutes because I was so choked up.) And so I was too emotionally unstable to post any new chaptes, and instead went to the library and the ice cream shop. Enjoy this chapter, it is one of my favorites as well :)

87. Unyeilding

"Are they still here?"

"Yup."

"Still waiting to kill us the moment we step out of the door?"

"Yup."

"You think you can sneak out and get us more food?" Sokka asked and his stomach grumbled at the mention of the sacred word of food, which almost always meant meat.

"Nope. They stuck Ty Lee in the kitchen." Toph muttered, her stomach growling as well.

"They turned Ty Lee against us?" Sokka cried out in horror.

"Yup."

"So do we have any allies in the palace."

"Well, Mai and Zuko are in Ba Sing Se with Uncle, and Aang would help us but Katara would kill him too."

"I mean… It's not like we even had sex! Why does she have to be so jealous?"

"Because we're best friends and we do everything together and I, once in my life, once very long ago, might have had a small miniscule crush on you. That and the fact that we were both hung over, and could have easily had sex last night… It wouldn't have been the worst thing we've ever done while drunk."

"But you weren't hungover!" Sokka yelled. They were quiet for a moment. "Wait! You liked me! Toph Bei Fong… The Blind Bandit… The Runaway had a crush on-" He was cut off with a blow to the stomach.

"Shut up! It was years ago! I was like… twelve!" Toph yelled, and she threw a rock his way, but she completely missed.

"No. I'm sorry Toph, it's just surprising."

"You never realized?"

"No, we were just… so close then, you know?" Sokka asked.

"I liked it like that. None of us were Avatars or lords or ambassadors… or, shit, none of us were married." Toph muttered, sitting on the bed that Suki had, almost a day ago, found them curled together in and had yelled threats to kill them both, along with other extreme things that made even Toph blush and wonder where Suki had learned such language.

"It was just me, you, Katara, Aang, and the world to see."

"You forgot the whole saving the world bit."

"True…" Sokka joined Toph on the bed, lying beside the blind Earthbender upon the gold and red, intricately sewn duvet.

"Suki's going to kill us if she manages to find some Earthbenders to lift the barricades I made." Toph said softly.

"Yeah," Sokka, answered and he grabbed her hand. "I wouldn't mind though."

Toph scoffed. "You will be groveling at her feet as soon as she comes in."

"Oh no I will not."

"Oh really?"

"Yup. If she wants to not believe me when I say I didn't cheat, then I refuse to apologize."

"What if she threatens something worse than death… breaking up with you! BUM BUM BUM!" Toph exaggerated.

Sokka was quiet, and Toph wondering if she had upset them by suggesting the breakup of what was considered the "perfect" couple to most of her friends.

"I don't know. In these past hours I've been able to think a lot. I mean… what if we really had had sex last night? Would it have been that bad? At first I was like, of course, but then I realized that it wouldn't be that bad. In fact it'd be great. I mean, you're my best friend and you know me better than anyone and you like throwing rocks and drinking and I think that maybe I'm in love with you,"

"AHA! I KNEW!" Suki screeched, standing triumphantly at the door with a confused Haru and an enraged Katara, and Sokka had only a brief glance out Toph, who looked just as impassive as usual, only a pink hue tinting her cheeks faintly, before he got his ass kicked by one very mad Kyoshi Warrior.

AN: I know Suki is very understanding and not the jealous type, but still i think that even Suki would be a bit mad if she walked in on Toph and Sokka, hungover, in bed together. And she probably would come to seek him out later and apologize, but not with Katara egging her on... So, I'm not trying to make Suki to seem like some jealous bitch or something, mostly it's just for laughs.


	7. 78 Drunk

Disclaimer: Not mine.

AN: Sorry about the wait guys! And girls! Yet another one with Suki. I'm beginning to like her, but still my friends today were deciding who would make it out of a fight unharmed and at first they were like, "Well, Brooke(that's me) definently wouldn't." Then one said, "Wait, what if we tell her that the person we're fighting was trash talking Tokka... and a fan of Suki!" And they amused themselves for the rest of the hour ( One litterally drew a picture of me jumping on someone going "For Tokka!") with the thought of my rabid attacks. But, just because I poke fun of her a lot with my friends, doesn't mean I'll ever bash her. Or write her bad. So, read on.

78. Drunk

Suki did not pine after Sokka. She had completely gotten over him, and was so glad she had dumped that stupid "warrior's" butt all those years ago. And, no matter what anyone would say, she was neither sobbing nor drenched, and her makeup was not running down her face. She was simply sitting on the edge of the fountain she had not fallen in to, when Sokka ran up and tried to apologize for pulling her off the table while she was dancing for the extremely nice men who went as far as to offer her twelve gold coins. And she danced like that because she wanted to, not because she thought being drunk would get Sokka back… and not because her mind was addled from all the alcohol she had not drunk.

"Suki," He muttered softly touching her shoulder.

Suki flinched away from his hand. "Don't touch me," She muttered.

"I'm sorry… Is you're shirt wet?" Sokka asked.

"No!" Suki yelled a little too quickly.

"Did you fall in?" Sokka asked and he couldn't help but laugh.

"No! I just… leaned over a little too far and a little bit of my shirt got wet!" She screeched, and she stood up and stumbled over to a bench.

"I'm sorry Suki," Sokka muttered, full out laughing by this time.

"No you aren't. Just leave me alone!" She yelled and she tried to scoot away from Sokka but ended up falling off the bench. Sokka laughed but tried to pull his drunken friend of the ground.

"Stop it Sokka! I hate you!" Suki shouted.

"That's not what you said early tonight in one of the twelve attempts to get me to go to bed with you."

Suki rolled her eyes. "I'm not in love with you."

"I know." Sokka answered, as he pulled her up from the ground and this time she didn't flinch him off.

"I'm completely happy as a single person." She announced with a hiccup. Shaking her arm out of Sokka's grasp, she teetered off towards the opposite direction of the inn she and her fellow Kyoshi Warriors were staying at.

"I know" Sokka trailed behind and softly grabbed her shirt to turn her around.

"I just saw you and you were alone and I know you never" hiccup, "go to the bar" hiccup "without Toph" hiccup, "so I thought you two were over." She started to doze off, and Sokka had to put an arm around her to keep her upright. "I thought maybe… you'd like me again if I tried to act like Toph. You know… drunk and stuff" she muttered in a soft, sleep muffled voice, her head resting on Sokka's shoulder and her eyes slowly closing.

"Suki, Toph is Toph and in anyone else, I would have found her so annoying but… you are you and even if you were more like Toph than I still wouldn't like you because you wouldn't be yourself and I loved you the way you were, but not in that way… you understand?"

His only answer was a light snore from his sleeping companion. Her auburn hair was wet and plastered to her mascara streaked face and her limbs lay limp in her green dress. He sighed and delivered her to the hands of her other warriors, thanking spirits he wouldn't be the one with the killer hangover in the morning, before returning to his house he shared with Toph, Katara and Aang.

"Nice night?" Toph asked after he kicked off his boots and climbed into bed with her, kissing first her forehead and then her swollen stomach.

"Hmm, would have been better if you were there," he muttered into her dark hair.

"I know. And on my part, I had a horrible time alone. I swear this baby better be the prettiest, most skilled, most awesome baby in the entire world for keeping me off alcohol for an entire nine months. Did I miss anything?"

"Well... Suki-" Sokka started but was cut off by his wife's excited response.

"Suki's in town? Sweet!" There was a pause before Toph smiled and Sokka knew she was up to no good. "I'm gonna have to visit her tomorrow. We'll swap notes on ways to torture you." There was a month or two of awkwardness after Sokka and Toph started dating, but the two women could not help but to bond over their love of teasing Sokka.

"I'm not sure she'll be in the mood for any visitors tomorrow. She tried to reenact her escape from the Boiling Rock, complete with arm flailing, head jumping and making her own theme music."

"Oh Spirits," Toph and Sokka laughed together over poor friend, who, if she was lucky, would not remember anything the next morning.


	8. 60 Costume

Disclaimer: Man these things are getting annoying. I don't own Avatar or anything else but my ideas.

AN: This is set in the present day and there is no bending.

60. Costume

"You're late," Toph said in greeting as she opened the door to her boyfriend. The bangs of her white bob wig swung back and forth as she angrily glared in his general direction.

"I know. Katara forgot to buy candy so I had to go and buy some at Wal-Mart and they had a demo of Rock Band, the new one, and I-"

"Well, no one knows who I am without you." She complained. "I say Eve and they all look at me like I'm a freak and then I say 'you know… from Wall-E?' and then they all laugh but if you were here on time—like you said you would be—then people wouldn't be confused. Plus, I don't even know if I look like Eve."

"Don't worry, you do." He answered, adjusting the goggles on his head.

"Good, now come in." She ordered.

"Sorry, can't. I'm only here on official candy-collecting business."

"You're trick-or-treating… During my Halloween party?"

"Yup." He answered brightly, which resulted in a blow to his stomach that caused him to double over. "Just this neighborhood, Toph. Then I'll come in."

Toph blew the bright bangs out of her face as she often did when she was annoyed. "Fine. But here, let me give you your treat." She reached behind her like she was grabbing a candy from the bowl situated on the chair by the door, but at the last second she brought her face to meet his and kissed him long and hard on the lips. They parted, Sokka licking his lips and Toph smiling impishly.

"Was that your Rock Berry lipgloss?" Sokka asked in awe. Rock Berry was Toph's absolute favorite lipgloss and it was sold at all the grocery stores in the county—Sokka checked. It was a rare chance that he get to kiss her Camp Rock flavored lips, and the fact that he would want to use it kissing him made him extremely happy.

"Uh huh. Much better than any candy those suckers are gonna give you. And this one comes with me as an added bonus." She wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing him again. It was needless to say that Sokka did not go trick-or-treating that night.

AN: Rockberry is the best lip gloss ever! My sister, who's obssesed with the Jonas Brothers, stole it from me, however, cause it had a picture of Joe Jonas on it. Also I was gonna keep Toph a blind earthbender, but then I realized that Wall-E has little words and would probably be lost on Toph, so.... yeah. Wall-E is my favorite movie ever, and i would absolutley die if my boyfriend would dress like Wall-E while I dressed like Eve. Well, that or Joker and Harley Quinn, which I think would be the funnest thing in the world!


	9. 35 Games

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.

AN: I had a dream about meeting Mike and Bryan! Before I could say much to them I started sobbing though because I was just so overwhelmed, and since they couldn't calm me down that wrote me these notes and gave me an address to write to them. One of their notes said "From the crying I'd guess your a distressed Zutaran" Haha, they tease Zutarans even in my dreams.

35. Games

I love Katara, and in a totally friendly, sister like way for all you sick perverts. Honestly, Katara is so compassionate and caring and she is more of my family than my own parents are. Yeah, she can be uptight, but that just makes her so much more fun to mess with. But sometimes, she can be downright stupid.

Like this morning, she decided it was time for the two of us to have a talk. About Sokka. Yeah like that wasn't awkward at all. It began in the early morning as Twinkletoes and Sifu Hotman did some firebending drills. I don't see why they need to, because the war is over, but as long as its firebending and not Earthbending, then I could really care less. I was picking my toes, trying to not to puke as Sokka and Suki spent some "quality" time together. Really, I had once thought that the feeling them makeout was gross, but the two of them snuggling and rubbing their noses together and repeating how much they "wuv each other" was definitely a disgusting "sight". Ok, maybe I exaggerated a little… Sokka and Suki were really just talking about something. Kyoshi Island I think. But the point is, they were busy, Aang and Zuko were busy, which left Katara and I, not busy.

"Hey Toph." She said. Her heart was completely irregular, and I could tell she was nervous about something. That and the fact that her voice sounded completely off.

"Hello Sugar Queen." I answered completely cool lie that. Cause I'm awesome that way.

"Toph we need to talk… About Sokka." She almost whispered the last two words. If she expected me to react, she was severely disappointed.

"Ok."

"Well… I know you have a little… crush on Sokka," Katara starts out very nervously, fiddling with her hair… Funny, I thought she did that when talking with Twinkletoes. Hmm, maybe she's gonna proclaim her love for me? And she wants me to stop liking Sokka so that I can like her. And then we can mud wrestle and make out and act out every fanboys fantasy! Yeah, right.

"No I don't," I answered, very calmly.

"Oh, good then." She laughs and drops her hair. "Well now I-"

"I really like him. Like, a lot more than a crush." I answered, because if you can't be completely truthful with your one of your bestfriends, then you can you be completely truthful with?

After a whole ten minutes of spurting, Katara was finally able to talk again. "Well… are you sure? Because I know Sokka's your first crush, I'm sorry… First guy you really liked."

_Wrong_

His name was Keirou and he was only the best Earthbender and Xin Fu's academy… Well, best after me, which was still pretty good. He wasn't in my class, no one was, because I had to have a special class all by myself. But sometimes, Xin Fu would have to leave me alone for awhile, or sometimes the servant would be late in picking me up, and I would sit there, all alone and feel the other, normal, students outside. Keirou, besides being the best student, was funny and I would find myself laughing at the jokes not meant for me. One day, I told the servant to pick me up ten minutes late, and during those few minutes of freedom I marched over to him, about to declare my love.

"Hey Keirou," I squeaked. I was young and in love, so don't think anything of the squeaking. "You were really good today."

"Thanks kid," He said, not even looking at me as he rumbled my hair and then when to make out with some heiress who had waited for him. Ok, I'm an heiress too, but I don't walk around in tunics that barely cover anything and carry little baby koala bunnies and name them Snowflake.

And well, that was end the end of that.

I didn't go in to detail and tell her that, but I did glare at her.

"Ok, well maybe you've liked someone other than Sokka. But are you sure you… you know, like him like that?" Katara asked. "Because, well I'm sure you know he's dating Suki and I don't want you to-"

"Break up their perfect little dream romance?" I asked. I know she's on their side, I'm mean who isn't? They're so frickin "cute" and "perfect" together. o would like the little blind Earthbender over the beautiful warrior?

"No. I don't want you to get hurt."

"A little late for that."

Katara held her hands out, hovering somewhere between patting me on the back and putting and arm around me, finally she just patted my shoulder. "So, you know, maybe you think you like him because he's one of the first guys you met… that you were actually friends with."

_Wrong again._

Their names were Chaman and Charan and they were the twin sons of one of the maids to my family's household. I was ambling through the gardens one day, avoiding my parents, when I stumbled upon them, yelling at each other and kicking around a ball. They were eight months older than I was and for two years we played together, playing this game they called "soccer" and pranking my countless nannies. Then my mother accused their mother of stealing a precious jewel and she, along with my only childhood friends, were sent away.

"If that were the case, then wouldn't I like Aang? Or Zuko? Because you know, I technically met Aang before, and I met Zuko pretty soon after that."

"Well.. I thought you liked Zuko too?"

I had thought the conversation had been funny before then, but I completely lost it at what Katara had just said. I laughed like a maniac, rolling around on the ground at the thought of me liking Sparky. "Me…. And Zuko?" I asked breathlessly as I picked myself off of the ground and sat on the boulder I had been occupying previously. "That's almost as bad as… Oh my God!" A new wave of laughter hit me and fell to the ground again.

"As what?" Katara cried.

"Dating… AANG!" I managed to squeeze out between laughs.

"What?" She screeched. "What's so wrong with dating Aang?" I only answered her with a snort and an abundance of tears. "Fine Toph! Well, if you can't take this seriously, then we have nothing to talk about!" And then she stormed off, leaving me to laugh myself into a fit.

AN: I wrote this shortly after the finale, when all the Sukkans were saying things like "Sokka was just Toph's first crush, and therefore she never really seriously liked him." And since we really don't know that much about Toph's past, I decided to write this... Though I think at some point Toph might of said she had no friends before or something... Oh well.


	10. 36 Sarcasm

Disclaimer: Though Mike and Bryan may speak to me in my dreams (I had ANOTHER dream about meeting them)that does not mean I own Avatar.

A/N: Remeber that drabble a few chapters back with some nice Suki, Sokka, and Toph closure...? Yeah, well it's back to hating each other in this one. There's some uh... not nice things that Toph thinks/says about Suki in this one... but there's also some mean!Suki and apologizing!Toph. Quite a switch that ( I hope) is in character. Oh, this is like part two to the last drabble, its more of a mini series or arc as there are a few more chapters involving talks with Mai, Ty Lee, Aang, Sokka, and Zuko.

36. Sarcasm

Well, after that "oh so successful" talk Katara and I had yesterday, I totally expected Katara to come find me and we'd apologize and talk seriously, or at least as seriously as we could with her making ridiculous suggestions, and then we'd come to some conclusion and we'd bond and hug and reach that so coveted level of "soul-sisters", but apparently Katara is pissed at me. So she sent Suki to finish the job of talking me out of liking Sokka, woot woot. At least with Katara I would have had a chance of making her understand my stand. Because, I didn't want to steal Sokka away from Suki, or anything, I just… wanted people to take me seriously I guess. To not try to make me change my mind when my liking Sokka wasn't hurting anyone, except for me possibly, but oh well.

Unlike Katara, I don't love Suki. I don't even like her. She is, in my mind, the most useless and stupid addition to the "gang". And the fact that she stole my bestfriend and potential love interest away from me didn't help her any. Especially since Sokka has been more moronic and pansy-assed since he started dating her. But, by some miracle, and after much begging, Zuko was able to drag Sokka into actually going fishing. As in actually baiting a rod and throwing it in and waiting for a fish to bight and then reel it in, instead of running of to some prison in the middle of a boiling lake to rescue an imprisoned dad, and then by chance find some girl you haven't thought about in weeks, but kissed about five months ago. As in actually bring back meat and not said imprisoned dad and girl. And Katara and Aang were out "waterbending" which really meant they were making out in their underwear. So I was left alone, yet again, at the camp.

"So… I'm guessing we're going to talk about Sokka now, right?" I ask Suki.

Apparently, Suki doesn't like subtly because she sits there like a lump on a log until she finally answers. "Well, yeah. That's what I wanted to talk about."

"You mean, that's what Katara sent you to do, because we both know neither of us want to talk to each other." I answer and absent-mindedly flick a rock towards the nearest tree.

"Well, maybe, I don't know anyway. You… like Sokka." She askes, only it was much more of a statement then a question.

Deciding to milk it for awhile, I keep quiet until finally, when it seems Suki is nearly dying of anticipation, I give her my, short, one worded, monosyllable answer. "Yup."

"Well… you know he's my boyfriend."

"I'm not blind." Ok, I might be literally blind, but that doesn't mean I couldn't "see" any better or worse than the nitwits I hang around with.

"So you can't date him… because I'm dating him. He's my boyfriend! Mine!" I don't think she means to shout the last part, for she seems pretty embarrassed as she waited for my answer.

"Yeah, I know. I'm not planning on stealing him."

"Well, that's, uh… good to know." And then (Thank spirits!)she turns to leave and I wonder how I got so lucky, when she turns around.

"Why?"

So, that caught me off guard. "Why what?"

"Oh don't give me some smart ass retort Toph. I want to know why you still like him, even when you know he's dating me." Oh wow, Suki's actually showing some backbone. Frankly, I don't like much more than her other, oh-so-sweet personage.

"Well, you like him so you can see the appeal in Sokka."

"But why won't you just… give up? Do you like making me miserable?"

"Because I can't! He was my bestfriend first and I just want things to go back to normal!" For someone so awesome, I'm awfully emotional. Suki can't tell, but I'm coming close to tears.

"Normal? We're teenagers and we just fought in a war? What's normal about that?" Suki askes.

"Because!" Wait, I'm Toph Bei Fong, toughest and best Earthbender in the Earth Kingdom, no, in the world and I'm losing my head to some bimbo? No way. So I do some of those breathing exercises I overheard a few nannies talking about (because as if I'd ever let some old geezer teach me how to act) before starting again. "Things were different before you got here. Sokka wasn't some whipped guy who hung onto his girlfriend's every word and never left her side."

"Is that how you see it?"

"You don't see Sokka hanging out with any besides do you? He's only on that fishing trip with Zuko, because Katara still scares the shit out of Zuko and made him pull Sokka away from you. And when's the last time you saw me talking to Sokka? Or Katara for that matter. I mean, I'm just the backup for when you aren't around, but Katara is his sister and he should at least talk to her more than a daily 'hi', 'bye', and 'if Aang goes too far just say the word and I'll beat his Airbending ass'."

Suki is quiet for awhile, but I can tell her heartbeat is completely normal—until she starts freaking sobbing on me. Oh shit, I don't know what to do about this. She is trying to be quiet about it, discreet so I won't notice, but I notice everything.

"Suki… it's uh…" Spirits, this is hard to say but I force it out anyway because I vowed to myself once that just because I didn't like her didn't entitle me to be rude—well, ruder than I was to my friends—to her. "Not your… " And there it is. The big word that I don't want to say, but not saying it would be weak because you are always supposed to take responsibility. I take another deep breath and mutter the word as fast as I can. "Fault. It's the situation's. And somewhat Sokka's too…" And then there is silence again, but I sure as hell am not going to offer anymore comforting words. My quota for the week is filled by the words I have just said.

"I have to now." She says finally, even though I know there is no where for her to go as everyone is gone, but she walks off anyway. I'm left, once again, to myself, but this time is not nearly as funny as last time. I mean, it's kinda funny the way Suki went all possessive over him, and I laugh a little at her expense but it's not quite the same at laughing at Katara's.

"Suki!" I say without thinking and suddenly realize that dammit, I'm going to be nice again. I try to stop the next words but I am too slow because they're already rushing out of my mouth, afraid that they'll be stuck in my head forever if I only had my way. "I'm sorry."

I really don't know what to expect, except maybe Katara to pop up from somewhere with glee and admit this was the whole point of our talk, but she doesn't. Suki talks, though, but it's quiet and I'm not even sure the words are meant for me. "I'm sorry too."


	11. 9 Vision

Disclaimer: Avatar is not, has not, and will never been mine. :(

AN: This is an AU one, set in modern time, but I kept Toph's blindness and bending.

**9. Vision **

Sokka stopped dead in his tracks when he saw it. Previously, he had been chasing Toph in the shallow waters near the shore, avoiding the small shifts in the sand under their feet which was really the work of Toph, trying to furtively Earthbend the sand without the other tourists noticing. And then, the airplane flew overhead and no one but Sokka even seemed to notice. But he did notice, and then he stopped and Toph Earthbent the ground right below him and he fell, luckily not face first, into the water, watching as a plane flew by, bearing the words "Marry Me Lia." It could have said anything for all Sokka cared, because all he knew is that it gave him the most wonderful idea in the world.

He had been trying to think of a way to propose for three months now; ever since the day he first saw the diamond ring in the antique shop and instantly thought of her. But he wasn't sure just how to propose, or when to would be the right moment until he remembered there beach trip. Because proposing on the beach would be romantic, right?"

"No. No. No." Katara nearly yelled when he told her. Around them, their friends sprawled in different positions on the extra-large, first class seats that Aang had somehow happened to score for free through his excellent connections, except for Katara and Sokka, who were awake. Sokka, because he was never able to sleep on airplanes and Katara because she just never seemed to sleep.

"You can't do the simple, down on one knee, "Will you marry me?" proposal. Who do you think you are some hobo from off the street? Toph is from the richest family in New York and she'll be expecting something better than just a run of the mill proposal. If you don't go extravagant… she might… she might say no, Sokka."

Sokka tried to say that Toph wasn't like her uptight parents, and didn't care about glamorous things, but Katara said that all girls wanted glamorous things for there wedding, and that he couldn't understand as he was a guy. Toph started murmuring something that moment, nestling her head further into his shoulder, and the two siblings stopped talking.

So that proposal was out and Sokka spent half his trip, and half his trip budget on the little computer in the deli of the hotel, looking at blogs and message boards, trying to find a creative way to propose.

And now finally, he knew what he was going to do. He probably should have known it was stupid plan, because right after he saw the plane and he was thrown to the ground, his wonderful, soon-to-be fiancée asked, "What's up Snoozles? Your hearts beating up a storm." That should have made him remember, because hello, she used her earthbending to sense vibrations since she couldn't see. But Sokka wasn't the brightest candle on the menorah, and in his excitement over finally finding the perfect way to propose, he just kinda forgot that the woman he loved was blind.

Sokka ran past the sunbathing Katara, kicking up sand and water, some of which splattered on her and she shrieked in disgust; past the volleyball playing Ty Lee and Aang, the latter who had stopped playing at the sound of his wife's distress; past the reclining Mai and Zuko, who didn't really notice, and out to the parking garage.

…

It took him about thirty minutes to get to the plane rental store, a few thousands to get the ad, and then another twenty minutes to get back to the beach. And right as he made it back to the beach, he remembered his cover story was that he was going to get food from McDonalds for the group, so he went back and stood in line for nearly twenty minutes, and then finally got to the beach with about one minute and thirty seconds until the plane would fly overhead. And it was at that moment as he got back to his friends, holding seven orders from McDonalds, when he suddenly remembered Toph was blind. He nearly dropped the food, only stopping himself from doing so because he knew Toph would kill him if he got her Big Mac full of sand.

"Food's here!" Katara yelled, and they all gathered around him.

"What took so long?" Aang asked, tearing into his salad.

"We were starting to get worried." Ty Lee said, carefully pouring nearly ten packs of ketchup onto her chicken nuggets.

"Well, Ty Lee was. The rest of us were making bets on what the holdup was. I thought you hit a kid," Zuko announced, pulling the lettuce off his spicy chicken sandwich.

"I thought you couldn't find the McDonalds-" Was all Mai added to the conversation.

"When it's right across the street!" Toph yelled, then she laughed and punched Sokka in the shoulder. "I had faith in you though. Faith that you'd eventually figure out how to start the car."

"Haha," Sokka laughed dryly. A plane flew overhead, stopping the conversation for a moment, and then laughter broke out over the group.

"Nice going Sokka," Zuko managed to gasp out between great chortling laughs.

Katara was the first one to recover and she, probably channeling the spirit of Toph, hit him on the shoulder. "Sokka you idiot!"

"What?" Toph asked, the only one who hadn't laughed. "What did Sokka do that was so idiotic? And how did I miss it?"

AN: So I asked my brothers (11 and 10) and my mom to help me think of creative ways of proposing ( I knew how Sokka was going to propose, but I wanted to mention how Aang proposed) and the first thing he said was "A banner pulled behind a plane!" And when I told my mother the story, she suggested I make Katara nicer (Her example: "Well Sokka, you know proposing isn't everything, and Toph loves you for who's inside, and not your money, but you should try to make her feel special by proposing in a creative way." Me: "... This isn't some Disney Channel show mom") and completely re-writing it because there was no way Sokka could forget Toph was blind. But none of them came up with a good idea for how Aang proposed, so, yeah... Read and review, please!


	12. 17 Weather

Disclaimer: Yeah, not insulting your intelligence or anything, but I think its pretty obvious. I do not own Avatar.

AN: IT'S TOKKA WEEK! I absolutely love Tokka week! The first one as so much fun, and though I've been busy for the first two days, I can't wait for the rest of the week! I may post some other, Tokka week related, drabbles later on, but right now I'm just updating with the newest chapter.

17. Weather

"Sokka?" Toph's voice called out through the mists of his ostrich pig filled dream.

"Mmmm?" was all he could manage to answer in his sleeping, but almost awake state. She was calling his name again, but his dream was so enticing. A whole valley of ostrich pigs, playing, frolicking, lining up for the fire where they would be cooked and then Sokka would devour them…

"Wake up you big oaf before I wake you up myself." Toph cried and, though leaving all his little piggies was a sickening thought, not waking up to Toph's call was even more sickening.

"Yes?" He asked. He felt something shaking beside him and with a sudden intake of breath he realizes it is Toph.

"Toph, what's wrong?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her shaking frame.

She neither tried to deny it, nor did she tell him that just because she's shaking and gasping for breath does not mean she's not scared. "Listen," Toph muttered, burying her head in Sokka's chest. He listened. It was raining, heavily, the rain beating hard upon the roof and walls, but it had rained before and Toph had never been scared, but while he was thinking that, something exploded. Or at least that's what it sounded like to Sokka, who was surprised the whole hotel wasn't shaking.

"What the hell?" Sokka asked.

"I don't know," he heard her muffled response from somewhere deep within the folds of the blue tunic he slept in.

"Is that thunder?" And it happened again, and Toph made some strangled noise that he would torment her about later.

"I'm blind! I don't know! It just sounds so horrible and please, please make it stop"

"How does being blind ha-" A knock interrupted them and Sokka looked down at Toph, well as much of Toph he could see; which was just a few tresses of her dark hair, mixing in with the darkness around them.

"I'll get that." Sokka announced, and he began to get up but Toph was still clutching at his tee shirt, one of her legs completely wrapped over his side. "Toph, how am I supposed to walk with you-"

"Deal with it." She snapped, and he had no choice to do it, so he awkwardly got out of bed and thankfully Toph at least put her feet on the ground so that she could walk, but she was still holding on to him, facing backwards and he stumbled to the door, as the thunder or whatever the hell it was, roared again.

Sokka pulled open the door to find Aang, sheepishly playing with the hem of his orange shirt. "Katara said it wouldn't be proper if I slept with her but I have no idea what's going on and…"

Sokka sighed and Toph let go of him, while Aang barged into the room falling into their big bed. "Wow! Your bed is huge!" He spread out, like he was making snow angels in the mountain of fluffy blankets.

Being with Aang in a new place was like being with a child.

"Aang!" Toph chided. "Stop jumping on the bed! It's almost as annoying as the thunder." And of course, it came again and Toph shuddered.

"Come on Toph," Sokka said and he pulled her into bed with him. "Scoot," he said to the large, orange lump that took up space in the middle of the bed. Aang scooted off to the far side of the bed, curling into a ball and for a moment everything was silent, and then the thunder roared again. Aang pulled the pillow over his ears, and Toph burrowed even deeper into his shirt than before. For maybe twenty minutes, they laid like that, Sokka stroking Toph's hair, murmuring soft words as overhead, the thunder didn't let up and instead seemed to get worse as the thunder was now sounding closer and closer together until there was another knock.

Sokka stood up, and yet again, Toph clung to him. "Toph, come on…"

"I'll just snuggle with Aang then," Toph threatened. Sokka looked over at Aang, who nodded.

"I love to snuggle!"

"Fine," And Sokka got up, only this time, Toph didn't even put her feet down, instead wrapping her legs around his torso, and her arms around his shoulders. He grunted as he carried himself and Toph across the room to answer, again, the door.

"Zuko's out cold, and we're a bit freaked out." Mai said when the door was upon to reveal her standing in the dark hall.

"We?" Sokka asked. From what he could see, it was only Mai, standing there and no one else...

Mai entered the room, Ty Lee holding closely to the back Mai's black robe. "We."

---

Yawning, Zuko rolled out of bed, landed on the hard floor and grunted. Oddly, he heard no laughter from the bed so he glanced up and was shocked to find the bed empty. "Mai?" he called, wondering if maybe she was in the bathroom. She wasn't.

He clambered out into the hall, still drowsy with sleep, and knocked on Ty Lee's door. No answer. He walked farther down the hall and knocked on Katara's, and then even further and Aang's. Finally, he knocked on Sokka's door, heard what he thought might be a greeting and then let himself into the room.

Toph and Sokka lay in the middle of the bed, entangled together in appendages, with Mai, lying completely straight, except for the arm that stretched over Toph's side and the hand that held Ty Lee's. Aang was curled into a ball on the other side of the odd couple, and Katara was lying on a chair with her feet on the bed and her head close to Aang's. Ty Lee was sprawled across them, her head resting on Sokka's stomach, her legs on top of Katara's, one arm wrapped around Toph's neck, and one hand clutching Mai's.

"I don't even want to know what went on last night." Zuko directed the comment to Sokka who looked like he was somewhat awake, and then walked out of the crowded hotel room.

AN: This really happened to me! I was at the beach and it started thundering, horribley and I had heard nothing like it before and so I curled up with my pillow... Too bad I don't have an awesome boyfriend like Sokka to cuddle with. I'm not sure if this is modern or in the Avatarverse, or why they are in a hotel, but thats just how it is... Reviews, as always, make me happy so review please!


	13. 71 Moon

Disclaimer: Avatar. Not mine. Comprendo?

AN: Yegods, a serious one! I think you could kinda guess by the title though... I mean moon about Sokka? Yeah, its probably gonna be pretty serious.

**71. Moon **

Toph knew it was wrong as soon as she said it. Besides the obvious signs like Aang's sharp inhale and wince and Sokka's spiked heart rate, the atmosphere, before humorous and fun, was now tense. The expression "cut the tension with a knife" which Toph never really understood, suddenly made sense.

_"The moon spirit is a gentle, loving lady. She rules the sky compassion and…lunar goodness."_

_"Oh really. Do you know the moon spirit?"_

It was honestly, too good an opportunity to pass up. Really. She was expecting him put his hands on his hips and announce, in that stupid manly voice he did, that course he did and then she'd shoot him a dubious glare, and he'd shrink and admit, that no, he really didn't.

_It was sharp and she could hear the underlying anger in his voice. "Yes."_

And how exactly did _he _know the Moon Spirit? Aang was the connection to the Spirit World, and as far as Toph knew not many people other people had been there. Unless of course they were dead, which Sokka was not. Then again, she did remember him telling her the story of his kidnapping by Hei Bai, but that had nothing to do with the Moon Spirit, at least what she could remember. And then why would he be angry? It's not like anyone would tell her. Sokka stalked off and Aang… well Aang wasn't any help.

_"Really? Aang, did he know the moon spirit?"_

_"Uh… yeah. We all met her and um… stuff. Look Toph, it's a touchy subject and I don't know if Sokka wouldn't want me to tell you."_

Really? Sokka wouldn't want _her _to know? As far as she knew, they were best friends, family even. Maybe he had done something so embarrassing (which really wasn't hard for her to imagine) that it was hard for him to talk about… But even that didn't seem right. So, she would just have to go ask him herself. She would just march up to him and demand he tell her the story.

She didn't, of course. She was fully ready to, as she marched over to sit next to him on the log, where he was looking up to the moon. But then he turned to her, sighing heavily, and she could hear the tears in his voice as he spoke.

_"Her name was Yue. I loved her, Toph."_

It was only minutes after that Hama lady had taught Katara "bloodbending", a technique so wrong it gave Toph shivers thinking about it, and had used it on Aang on Sokka as well. They were all shaken up, Katara so much that she was still sobbing, with Aang trying to soothe her with his calm words. Apparently it was a full moon as well, so now Sokka was just as shaken up as Katara, and there was no way she could yell at him.

"Talk when about it when you're ready, ok?"

AN: I thought of writing this right after I saw the Puppet Master... It just took me quite a few months to get it written.


	14. Foundation

**100. Foundation**

Disclaimer: I own all three seasons on DVD (I'm watching an episode right now) but I don't own Avatar.

Its as Aang and Katara as saying their possibly final goodbye, Toph realizes she does not want her last words to Sokka to be insulting the submarine he invented, which she'll admit, could not have been invented by a total idiot.

"Sokka?" He is heading towards the front of the ship while as she is heading towards the tanks, but he stops and turns around at her call.

"Yeah?"

"Don't be a meathead and get yourself killed." Toph states, trying to be cool even though she's secretly worried. After all, it's just now that she's realizing how serious the situation is. There was always a threat of death hanging around them, it came with traveling with the Avatar, but this time is different. It's real. They could die in seconds out there. Everything up until now had been practice, and this, this was it; a real battle. What if they lost? What if Sokka, Katara, or Aang died?

"What's this? Toph are you getting pre-battle jitters?" Sokka jokingly asks and she punches him in the arm. He smiles anyway. "There, back to normal."

She laughs. "But seriously. Don't die."

"I won't. I'm invincible. I know you've never seen me in an actual battle, but let me tell you. I am a beast."

"Sure." She drags out the word, and he scoffs in fake horror.

"You don't believe me? Waapow" His arms flail in the air as he tries to perform some elaborate move but she conks him on his head and he falls to the ground.

"Even though it's soooo unlikely that you'd get hurt or something… I want you to know that I'm so glad that you're my friend."

Suddenly, he pulls her into him, his arms wrap around her back, and she returns the hug. For a few moments they stand together like that, until he whispers, "I'm so glad you're part of my family."

Their embrace is nothing like the one happening above. Its is not romantic or months in the making, but it just a special to Toph as anything. Because, right now being just friends, being just family… is plenty enough.

AN: Because, even if they don't get together, they will always be best friends. I went to rewatch a few scenes of DOBS pt1 to make sure Toph's last words to Sokka are about the submarine (it is) and that they'd have enough time for this for exchange to happen (they do) and also to watch one of my favorite scenes which is a shot of Toph looking a bit scared with her earthbenders and then Sokka sighing with the other warriors. That's actually what inspired me to write this one.


End file.
